VTR Side Story - The Hangman's Noose
by Salt-the-Catgirl
Summary: Yet Another VTR side story. I felt YoReki wasn't getting enough attention in FITCR at the moment, and this scenario wouldn't leave me alone. It fits more in the VTR Universe.


_**VTR Side Story - The Hangman's Noose**_

Gareki stood nervously on the wooden platform. His hands we're tied behind his back, and two royal guards of Satanica stood on either side of him as a third began fitting a noose around his neck. "What's going the here?" the young seafarer asked. He looked down. Rather than his Royal Merchants of Rimhakka uniform, he was in his old Pirate Captain's clothes. Something wasn't right.

Why was he being lead to the noose? Why was he in this outfit? Why was he in Satanica? How and when did he get here? How and when did he even get caught? Shouldn't he be on his way to Rimhakka right now? Satanica was leagues away in the opposite direction. For that matter, where were the rest of his crew? Where was... Gareki gasped and darted his eyes around. No sign of the blonde haired, violet eyed Rimhakkan Prince.

"What's going on here?" he asked again.

"Captain Gareki, the Raven of Kuronomei and the Kuro Hitsuji," an authoritative voice addressed him.

Gareki growled. He'd always hated his Pirate nickname of "The Little Raven". It hadn't been his chosen name, Lady Mine had given it to him when she first tried to enslave him. Emperor Palnedo echoed it once he took the lead as his own slave, instead, and, unfortunately, with his dark hair and eyes, once he had broken free and set sail, the name had stuck.

" I don't answer to that title! " the young captain exclaimed.

"You stand accused of acts of theft, piracy, slave trade, rape, and royal kidnapping," the voice continued, completely ignoring Gareki's complaints.

Gareki sighed he couldn't deny it. As a slave, rape was something he'd been in both ends of for his former masters'pleasure. As a pirate, thievery came as part of the job. Selling poachers, rival pirates, and other black market members to slave auctions in Karasuna had been a means of survival, but he'd never sold innocents. Once he was out on his own, away from Palnedo and Mine, he'd never even entered into intercourse, until... until Yogi.

"Wait a minute?" Gareki asked, "Kidnapping!? I've done no such thing!"

" You deny your involvement in the kidnapping of the royal children of Rimhakka, Kafka, and Vantnam? " the voice questioned.

"Vantnam!?" Gareki exclaimed, "Has Prince Yanari gone missing now?" he asked with some concern in his voice. "No, I don't deny my involvement with the temporary disappearance of the Rimhakkan Royals a year ago. Nor do I deny obsconting with the princess of Kafka around the same time, but I DIDN'T actually kidnap any of them. I saved them! What's this all about? It's been twelve months since I have up piratiering and became a Royal Merchant for Rimhakka. Don't tell me the news of my royal pardon hasn't reached here, yet? Queen Eleska of Kafka married my brother, and I've devoted my life to Prince Yogi of Rimhakka. There's got to be some sort of mistake for me to be here. "

His body was shivering but his voice was as calm as could be. Yes, he was nervous, but panicking here would do him no good. The noose was tight and uncomfortable around his neck and he could feel the ropes rubbing against his wrists. It burned and scratched. Looking over the crowd again, there was no sign of his crew members. Jiki, Shishi, Ranji, Yotaka, Nai, even Nyanperowna. Again, where the hell was Yogi?

" _There's no way they would abandon me,_ " he thought , " _Especially not Yogi. Even if he were mad at me, he would be here trying to get me out of this, like he did with King Nereus on Merumerai._ "

"No such news had reached us, " the voice replied, "And we don't take the word of world renound, cutthroat pirates. "

"Then don't take my word for it," Gareki said , "Where is Prince Yogi? Ask him yourself ." Gareki looked around once more. He still hadn't figured out who was speaking. "And why don't you show yourself?"

" Prince Yogi..." the voice hesitated . There was something in the time that Gareki instantly didn't like. Something about the way this voice said his lover's name washed over him and filled him with dread. "Prince Yogi of Rimhakka is dead."

"No! That's not... It can't be? How is that possible?" Gareki exclaimed, no longer able to hide the panic he'd been feeling, he struggled against the guards. They restrained him and he sank to his knees, head bowed. " _Yogi..._ " he quietly called the prince's name. The one person in the world that meant more to him than life itself. Gareki closer his eyes and shook his head. He tried to call out to Nai and Nyanperowna, hoping one of them could help him make sense of what was going on. But he couldn't sense either of the two halflings. The psychic waves between himself and the Niji and the royal cat seemed to be severed. Gareki gasped and looked up in desperation. "My crew!? Where are the rest of my crew?"

"All dead, your the only one to survive the explosion of the Kuronomei," the voice answered. "And it would take several days to reach anyone in Kafka or Rimhakka to validate the rest of your story."

"Not that I care anymore, " Gareki returned. "If what you say is true. If they're all really gone. If even if my Prince is gone, then I have no reason to fight my way out of this noose." He struggled back to his feet. "Just know that if yo do this, when word reaches my brother and my sister-in-law, you will have started a war with Kafka and Rimhakka may become involved as well." He closed his eyes, and took a breath, ready to reserve himself to this fate. " _Tsukumo, Kiichi, I'm sorry, girls, it doesn't look like Kiki will be coming home this time,_ " he thought, " _Tsubame, Tsubaki, Karoku, Miu... Neither will Nai , Yogi, and I._ "

"That is a risk..." the voice to one much deeper and familiar, "I'm willing to take." Gareki's eyes widened as Emperor Palnedo stepped out of the shadows.

"You?" Gareki exclaimed, "You were exiled to Rinoll! Why are you here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the dethroned royal chuckled. "Drop him!" he ordered.

The guards pulled the lever and the floor under Gareki's feet have way. Gareki gasped as he dropped and dangled at the end of the rope. His eyes teared over as his breathing became constricted and he was forced to watch his worst enemy's back as the old man walked away." _ **No...**_ " he rasped. Knowing Palnedo, there was a possibility everything he'd just been told was a lie. He tried to scramble for the platform, to pull himself up, but with his hands behind his back, he found it difficult to gain leverage.

"Sir, the boy's neck didn't break," one of the guards stated, "Should we finish him quickly?"

" No, he deserves to suffer for his trespasses, " Palnedo ordered, "Leave him."

Slowly, everything went dark.

"Gareki!? Gareki, wake up! " Yogi's worried voice called to the young captain.

Gareki's eyes snapped open and he say up right and looked around. "What? Where...?" he gasped, sputtering for air. He was drenched in see and his heart was pounding so hard he thought it was about to leap out of his chest.

"Gareki? Are you alright?" the blond prince asked, placing a hand to the captain's forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

" _**Yogi...**_ " Gareki breathed, throwing his arms around his lover. " _Oh gods, it was just a dream..._ " A nightmare? Suddenly, it made sense why he couldn't reach Now and Nyanperowna.

Yogi blinked, blushed, and gently hugged the younger male. "Shh... Shh... It's alright," Yogi assured him. "You were thrashing around and gasping for air." Yogi gently stroked a hand through Gareki's raven locks. "I think you tried to call for me once or twice." Gareki only hugged the blond closer, as though he were afraid the Prince would co completely disappear if he let go. "That must have been some dream...?"

"Did anyone else hear me?" Gareki finally asked.

"I don't believe so," Yogi stated, knowing the young captain hated the idea of showing weaknesses in front of their crew. Yogi was different. For Yogi, Gareki could drop his guard. "No one's come to the door anyway."

"The Hangman's noose," Gareki sighed.

"Huh?" Yogi asked.

"The dream," Gareki said, "You were dead, the ship and crew were sunk, and Palnedo had me strung up at the gallows."

Yogi hugged Gareki tighter. "It's alright, Love," the Prince said calmly, "I'm still here. The crew and ship are still here and Palnedo had been exiled to the one country who's waters you refuse to set sail into. " Yogi caught Gareki's chin and gently turned him up to face him. "And I'm not about to let anyone lead you to the gallows."

Gareki smiled and nuzzled into his lover's neck. "I know. I'll be alright. Just... Just stay with me like this for a moment."

Yogi smiled and kissed the young captain's forehead. "There's no need to ask me that. I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
